The Grand Sophy by Georgett Heyer

The Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I believe that this is the first time I've reread a book by Heyer. And, sadly, it won't be resting upon my 'only books reread can get to this shelf' top shelf. A good book, an excellent book, but not top shelf book.

I won't spend too much time on this review, in fact I just have one last thing to note: there's one issue I had problems with the first time I read this book, and have problems with now. And that's the part wherein the romantic entanglement involves two first cousins. But you know aristocrats, they weird and do stuff like that (like those crazy Egyptians who matched up brother and sister).

Rating: 5

June 29 2017



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Walking on Knives by Maya Chhabra

*I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and Less Than Three Press in exchange for an honest review.*

I actually read this a short time ago, I think on the 9th of June. But had been putting off marking the read since the story itself won't be out until the end of July. A review will appear here closer to June 26th (month before publication).

This story here, like another recently read short story released through Less than Three Press, is a Fairy Tale Retelling. The Little Mermaid was originally written and released April 7 1837 by Hans Christian Andersen. Based on what I recall of the story, I'd have assumed that it was by the Brothers Grimm, considering it's bloody nature, though maybe all fairy tales are deeply and graphically bloody and violent. I know less of Andersen's stories, though. Though I have read a few non-Grimm Fairy Tales, and while the Beauty and the Beast story is deeply misogynistic (the good pretty girl is destined, and happy for it!, to be bound to a whiny violent ugly brat (really, read the original story some time, that original story beast could give some of the modern day 'alphaholes' a run for their money in being a bastard asshole)) but, other than threatening it, wasn't deeply graphically bloody.

Right, sorry, got distracted there. The original tale and the retelling is remarkably similar - though there is an addition of a sister for the Sea Witch in this story here. She takes on some of the role that had originally been given to others in the original story (with the addition of lesbianism).

Looking at the original story, this story, and the Disney film - this story here is much closer to the original story (both the original and this one promise death to the mermaid if she fails in her quest; the film promised servitude to the sea witch).

An interesting and super quick story. Satisfying.

Rating: 3.75

June 12 2017

Huntress by A.E. Radley

Huntress by A.E. Radley

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I hadn't looked too closely at the story when I first spotted this book and started to drool over it. Based on some comments I'd seen, a few glimpses from reviews, ratings, etc. So I watched as the days to publication counted down, knowing mostly that this book involved loads of humor. But not really much else (my fault, and somehow I took everything I'd glimpsed, combined it with the book cover, and came up with the insane idea that this might be a humorous fantasy/horror book - I mean, come on, the cover looks like a zombie/werewolf/vampire is creeping up on a car driving along - and, quite frankly, now that I look at it, completely confuses me for being on the cover of this book (the 'fleeing couple' (they aren't a couple but best friends, one lesbian, other straight) ditched the car early on, and everyone chasing them did so, for the most part, with access to modern technology - as in, the fleeing people were afoot, chasing people were acar. So . . . what's with the cover?).

Right, sorry. All I meant to do was say something like: things I had read made me think this would be a humorous lark, maybe vampire related. Took me awhile to realize this was a spy caper. I mean, the book starts off with a coffee shop worker talking to some incompetent police about a missing woman. She doesn't actually know anything about the woman except for the name 'Cara', some kind of 'Spanish' vibe, and that she'd been coming in the shop every work day for 10 months, except for three days ago when she didn't pop in. And is therefore missing. See, I'd been thinking - ooh, I know, she'd been turned into a vampire, like, yeah. That's why she couldn't come in the morning? No - I'd entered this via the wrong genre. This isn't a fantasy/horror doofus. mmphs. Stupid me. Stupid.

Right, so, what is this about? A woman of exactly 25 has great schooling 'but' works as a coffee shop worker because it's safe and pays the minimal bills. She's been flirting for ten months with one of her customers named Cara. Until she wasn't because Cara poofed on her. So, as noted, she told the police. Who didn't give two shits about it. So Amy, the 25 year old is named Amy by the way, decided to investigate the matter herself. So she looks at the video tapes. Mostly to try to pick up on the woman's license plate on the car. Saw how incredibly obvious her flirting was. Also saw that the woman always seemed to park in the same spot which hid the license plate. Also saw that the woman had, at the very least, been using her. Distracting her with mild flirtation while she hid something under one of the tables. She also saw that whatever she had been hiding under the tables for 10 months had: 1) been picked up by 'spiky' so named because of his 'bad hair'; and 2) whatever she'd been hiding, one of those 'things' was still under one of the tables (the 'wrong' table).

Amy looks. Finds USB thingy. Before she can investigate further the spiky haired guy is in her face demanding to know if she had found any USB drives. Because he lost one. Amy lies and says no (which, on the face of it, didn't mean anything right then and there, but now that I've read the book and know that Amy is quite horrible at lying and incapable of doing anything but telling the truth . . . changes that scene in my mind). Man leaves. May or may not believe her. She goes back to the back area, retrieves her laptop (there’s a story there why she has it at work – and why she has a massive camping bag – she and her friend were going to go camping in a test run thing, and after one time she forgot her knickers, she wasn’t going to forget anything ever again, and I mean anything). Plugs the USB into the laptop and . . . before you can say boo, the man pops in and screams at her to give him the USB drive. Mentions several things. She flees. He chases. Her friend Kerry pops up (since they were going to meet there shortly). Man pulls the friend into the crisis. Then police show up, or at least people looking police like with weapons. Amy and Kerry then duck into the ladies (as, obviously, a spy wanting something from you wouldn’t dare follow you into the ladies, right?). And then proceed to continue in their fleeing.

They end up on a train. Then off a train. Then camping. Then . . . well, more fleeing.

Meanwhile other characters are introduced to the story. We have an older fella at MI5 who is tasked with investigating this case. Not immediately obvious but I think part of his scenes actually were set before the USB disk was found. Then scenes in which he hires an ex-MI5 person to track the two women, Amy and Kerry. And she, Claudia, does. All over the place. Driving. Sleeping in car. Driving.

To add to the confusion, Amy, as hinted at earlier, simply can’t stop from being honest. So she basically tells any and every one that she meets that they are on the run from the police. Naturally . . ..

If I had gone into this story correctly, there’s a good chance that I might have ended up on 5 stars. For one, I expected an hilarious romp, whatever genre we were actually going to be in. Some funny moments here and there, but no. This is not an hilarious romp. Soooo…..

Right, last thought: for those looking for romance, yes that trickles in. And no it does not involve ‘spoiler’ (view spoiler)[Cara and Amy (hide spoiler)].

Rating: 4.55

June 26 2017




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Starstruck by Harper 'H.L.' Logan

Starstruck by Harper Logan

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


There were a lot of things that annoyed me from beginning to end. And, while a tiny part of that is connected to this book morphing from M/M to F/F (gay fiction to lesbian fiction), most of it was due to other issues. And the 'tiny part' due to the modification is due to the relatively numerous occasions when the wrong pronoun was used. If you are going to go to the trouble of modifying a book, at least make sure the pronouns are correct at a bare minimum, okay?

Right, so. To be fair to the author, there were two large reasons that I disliked this book that are fair to be in a lesbian fiction book. They are just not things that I a) handle well; and/or b) have seen too often in my reading. And those two things are: miscommunication (loads in this book), and refusal to admit to being a lesbian for way too long, to the point where relationships suffer greatly.

In terms of sex - occurred. Graphically described. Which means a few words were used that were more graphic than just bluntly stating sex occurred. (words like 'clit' and 'nipples').

Would I read another book by this author? Sure, have to examine description, though, so I can better my chances of success. To see if miscommunication and/or other disliked plot choices play parts in the book.

Rating: 2.75

June 23 2017



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The Rules of Love by Cara Malone

The Rules of Love by Cara Malone

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


There are a million and one (or maybe eight) things I thought of mentioning in a review for this book. I think I'll just stick to a few words.

Two young women of 23 attend graduate school at Granville. Both going for masters in library science with the other also going for masters in user . . . um . . something. I'm not sure where Granville is supposed to be though within roughly 5-6 hour driving of Chicago. Conceivable Granville University (GSU) is a stand in for Denison University (which is located in Granville Ohio, which is roughly 6 hours driving distance from Chicago). GSU, though, seems to correspond to Georgia State University, and I know this isn't Georgia State. So, conceivably, the action is taking place in Ohio.

One of the women had been dating their high school sweetheart for the past six of so years, but the girlfriend, Meagan, broke them apart when they graduated college - didn't want to do the long distance thing. Ruby, the woman I've been referring to indirectly, is normally a bubbly chatty type who just loves social situations and making friends. And she turns to that, with her plastic smile on her face, to distract herself from her heart-break.

Meanwhile there's this kind of 'opposite Ruby' type - where Ruby is bubbly, femme, dress wearing socialite, Max is her opposite in most ways. Strong jaw, mannish clothing, bow-tie, short hair, blunt sharp talk. Doesn’t ‘do’ small talk. Or crowds. Or bars, parties, etc. Course, part of that ‘doesn’t’ do’ is the part wherein she isn’t really sure how. For she falls somewhere within the label of Asperger syndrome.

Both women find the other quite attractive, on first glance. Shortly thereafter both kind of dislike the other, with Ruby even telling her mother that she’s developed an arch-enemy. Max falls less into ‘dislike’ but for noticing how Ruby is acting to her. Which is worrying to her for Ruby is the first person who seems worth the effort to figure out what this ‘dating’ and ‘love’ thing might mean.

Then they are forced to work on a project together through a class. And so they have to interact.

They move less from hate to love, than from hate to hate fucking – quite frankly I kind of despised Ruby throughout the book and had no sympathy for her. She used Max as a distraction, to distract her from her broken heart. Ruby keeps thinking that the fucking will be a one-time thing, but she keeps finding herself in Max’s room. Max thinks they have some kind of relationship going on (stupid of her, eh?).

Then, as kind of expected, the ex-girlfriend reared her ugly head up to blink alluringly towards Ruby. So naturally . . ..
The events of the book kept me from rating this less than I did but I wish to again note that I rather disliked the character Ruby put on display.

sex: lots. And graphic.

Rating: 3.66

June 23 2017




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Harley Quinn Vol. 5: The Joker's Last Laugh by Amanda Conner & Jimmy Palmiotti

Harley Quinn, Vol. 5: The Joker's Last Laugh by Amanda Conner

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Stuff happens. Harley Quinn deals with someone she killed before but who has come back to life; her boyfriend is in jail being beaten up; she has some conflict with the mayor of New York; her boyfriend gets sent to Gotham and Harley goes to break him out; Quinn beats up the Joker (reason this is rated as high as 3.75); Quinn and others flash their naked bodies all of the place though 'things' keep getting in the way of the reader seeing much; Quinn kisses men and women; Quinn meets again: the Joker, Power Girl, Batman, Poison Ivy (I think the only one she doesn't 'kiss' would be Batman); Quinn finds a genie bottle and releases the genie. Her wishes are granted. Horrible results.

Rating: 3.67

June 22 2017



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The Day the Dead Came to Show and Tell by Mira Grant

The Day the Dead Came to Show and Tell by Mira Grant

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I read this novella for the first time in October of 2014. Almost but not quite three years ago. Immediately after finishing the story I wanted to read it again. It is a very compelling story. Very interesting.

It tells a tale that doesn't really need the rest of the series to tell, though a few modifications would need to be done to allow readers to have just slightly more information. Or less. Just a few words here or there to indicate: 1) a zombie outbreak had occurred prior to the story here; 2) zombies still roam the earth but society didn't fall, just morphed; 3) zombies still roam because even if all the dead currently stumbling around as a zombie were killed . . . there still would be zombies - because everyone, every man, woman, child, everyone is already infected. And there's no cure. Spontaneous 'amphication', or a word like that, can occur - spontaneous zombification, but mostly people become zombies when they come into contact with an active version of the virus. Blood, bite, what have you. Or having a heart attack and falling over. Dead. Only to then rise again as a zombie. The dead don't stay dead in this world. Which is why there still are zombies.

All of the above is already known by someone who has read the series up to here. And considering the way the story is structured, there wouldn't have to be too much effort to add some of that. It's 'not needed' now because, I assume, there was an assumption that only those who read and enjoyed the series would read the little side stories that the author released over time.

So, with all that above, what's this story here about? Well, as noted, zombies are real and they are everywhere. And everyone is already infected. You, the reader, can read the story in two different ways, either might be more enjoyable. Read it straight through, every little bit, or ignore the odd little before and after sections in different formatting. The 'different formatting' stuff is what links this to the rest of the series. Because side characters from that series are investigating and reporting on an event that had occurred something like 7 years before their own time. And they drop things, they mention things in those sections that hadn't, yet, occurred in the story.

So - on one level you have a reporter examining and writing up a report on an incident that had happened at a school something like seven years before the reporter started working on the story. On the other level you have the story itself.

And what is that story? A young woman works as a school teacher. Trained to be a teacher, and trained to deal with dealing with the zombie issue. She's a first grade teacher. The students in her class are on the edge of being able to be zombies themselves - there is a certain weight that needs to be reached; while at the same time are not 'aware enough' to know the dangers that await them.

The day begins for this teacher. She sets up her class for the day. Gets her students. Conducts class. Then leads them out for a 10 minute recess. Which is where the trouble starts, though it isn't known nor obvious until much later. I don't wish to give everything away, of course, so let us just say that one of the students injuries themselves, blood flows, and they hide the blood from their teacher. They are too small to amphify, so they don't set off any alarms when they go back inside (there's a lot of blood testing that occurs). By hiding the event, though, they don't protect others. And someone who is large enough to amphify (I should note that the word is used to indicate that the individual moves from being a carrier of the zombie virus, to being a zombie) touches that blood.

And then all hell breaks loose. Zombies float through the school. And the story follows that young teacher as she tries to shepherd her students, to try to save them.

Rating: Only those stories that I've read more than once can rise to the top level, rise to six star level. I am very much inclined to add this story to that shelf. But it is the top tier. And I must guard against overrating things. Crowding the best of the best shelf. So I'll rate this story 5+ stars and think about whether I 'induct' it to 'best of the best' status. The 'internal communications' that occur years after the events unfolded are the 'thing' that might hold back this story from rising to that level.

June 22 2017



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The Player by Stella Riley

The Player by Stella Riley

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Caroline Maitland is a rich heiress in London for the season hoping to pick up a husband, preferably one with a title. Well, preferably one she loved, but, eh, that’s what you do for family, find someone who would be best positioned to help the rest of the family.

She has two advantages and several disadvantages. Advantages: she has money; she’s being ‘sponsored’ by someone with a title. Disadvantages: fashion sense (there are reasons); a certain amount of ‘plainness’ that may or may not be because of the bad fashion choices and the constant refrain from an important source (mother) that she isn’t exactly pretty (so low confidence in own appearance); ‘common’ blood (money is from gramps who is a self-made man).

The vast majority of the beginning of the book her two main suiters, and really the only ones who seemed to actually ever court her, is a man who never had money and has problems keeping it when he does get some (the cousin of the woman who is sponsoring Caroline), and a handsome man with a title, though deeply deeply in debt (of his own making), and with a bad, super bad addiction to gambling. Caroline gets on somewhat well-enough with the one I’ll call ‘cousin’, but that fella was never really a serious contender (mostly because he didn’t have a title and mother wants her daughter to get someone with a title, preferably high up, at least higher than a Baron (of which her other suitor holds as his position in society, Baron). Right, and the other suitor, Baron Handsome Douche both finds Caroline unattractive, but also finds it difficult to actually be in her company. BUT! He needs her money.

This book seemed determined to pack every cliché, trope, etc. etc. from romance into it. Including a few things from films of roughly the 1980s/1990s – the one being the ‘ugly duckling’ who, with a few modifications, suddenly becomes a beautiful swan. We have the revenge plot, the rich heiress, the penniless handsome con artist type (though he does in fact have a title; con artist type because he only wants the woman’s money and is playing a long con to get it, lying left and right, etc. etc.), the rivals who used to be best friends but are now bitter enemies, highway robbers, etc. etc. There are many things missing, I’m sure. Like no one has a physical or mental defect, though the Earl has a very bad cloud hanging over him (*people chanting behind his back and to his face* ‘murderer! Murderer!’), and the Heiress is . . . um, badly dressed and has ‘common’ blood.

I put in my status updates, 41% in, that the book, up to that point, was more of an ‘Anti-Romance’, and a revenge plot. An Anti-Romance because the two seriously circling each other (not counting cousin) kind of hate each other. Revenge plot? Well, hadn’t gotten to that part yet – there are several point of views in the book actually. One is Caroline’s, another is Baron Douche, sorry, that’s Marcus Sheringham. But Marcus isn’t the ‘mastermind’ behind the revenge plot theme/plot-line, but the target. For there is also a fella who goes by many names, but I’ll call him Earl Sarre to be quick about it.

Ten years ago Sarre, who had been a Viscount at the time, was engaged to be married. For various reasons that don’t really matter, they were waiting for his 22nd birthday to pass before the marriage could be performed. Well, exactly on that specific day, the 22nd birthday, Sarre’s fiancée popped over and lured him from his room. He followed her, trying to get her to stop. She wandered into the ‘bad’ parts of the castle/manor/whatever-the-building-was, the parts in disrepair. Then up to the roof. While basically dancing around in her long white gown, wiggling and hopping on that roof, fiancée asked Sarre to guess something. Though first she told him that a) she isn’t going to actually marry him, and b) she’s pregnant and they both know it can’t be his since they’ve never screwed around in that way. Then she asked him to guess who the papa of her unborn child might be. One thing leads to another, Sarre learns that his supposedly best friend has impregnated his fiancée, and he also watches as his fiancée trips on her own gown and plummets off the roof to smack grotesquely against the hard ground.

Sarre is now on the ground, his parents are demanding to know what all the fuss is about, and then Marcus pops up. For, you see, he was there to gather up the fiancée and leave with her. Learning that the woman was dead, Marcus started screaming such things like ‘Murderer!’ Even though Sarre had already told his parents what happened, they kind of looked at him and asked something like ‘so, did you?’ Then the Earl, no not Sarre, I’m referring to Sarre’s father here, sent Sarre to Europe with the kind words of ‘I’ve another son, he’ll be Earl.’

Seven years passed from that date. Sarre is 29 and has made a fortune through several means while in Paris and around Europe. Some from counting cards, some from being a highly sought after actor (sought to hire not arrest, I should be careful there). Pops dies. Sarre remains in Europe for he did still have that brother. Let him ‘rule’.

Three years pass. The brother is dead. Sarre ‘must’ return to England to assume the Earlship. For reasons. Whereupon the book opens with him on a boat heading to England.

Quite interesting book. Both of the people who make up the ‘love couple’ in the romance are, in their way, acting. Though the acting of one is bluntly noted – for Sarre has been an actor for these long years, and doesn’t really know how to be an Earl now so he plays a role. Caroline? Well, she’s also playing a role, more subtly alluded to in the book – the role of a ‘suitable’ type. She has a mind, and wit, and all that but she’s been hiding herself – she also has a much better fashion sense than might be guessed, but she’s hiding that as well (for her grandfather, the person funding her, liked certain dresses, garish horrible dresses, so she wears them even knowing they suck balls).

I liked the book. Not exactly sure why this specific book needed to be part of a series, per se, instead of just being there. Alone, adrift in a sea of stand-alones. But that Rockliffe dude does appear in this book and plays a somewhat important part, though his brother Nick plays a much larger role for most of the book. Speaking of Nick – reading a romance involving him and the fiery French woman whose name now escapes me (sister of Sarre’s business partner) would be neat. And something I’d wish to do. But the next book in the series involves neither, and considering that it took 4 years for book 2 to appear, then 25 years for book 3 to appear, and then 2 years for book 4 to appear, I would have to assume that no book involving Nick and that fiery French woman will appear. Despite how interesting the few scenes involving both were.

I do this sometimes so I’ll do it here: the first book in the series involved: Rosalind Vernon and Marquis of Amberley – both pop up in this third book though neither has much to say; the second book in the series involves: the Duke of Rockliffe and Adeline – both play larger roles in book 3 than either of the people from book 1, though the duke plays a larger role than his wife; and those people in book 4? Do they appear in book 3? Well, while I haven’t read book 4, I do recognize one of the names - Cassandra Delahaye is/was one of Caroline’s friends in book 3.

sex: There were a few moments wherein it seemed as if actual graphic sex might suddenly break out, but unless I blinked and missed it, graphic sex either didn’t occur or was quite quick.

Age: Caroline, I believe, is 22. And Sarre is 32.

Rating: 4.32

June 22 2017



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Maye's Request by Clifford Henderson

Maye's Request by Clifford Henderson

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I really have no clue what I just read. It wasn't a romance. It wasn't a new adult/young adult. It wasn't a mystery/action/suspense/thriller/etc.etc. A family drama.

Maye, of 'Maye's Request', is the mother of the man character known alternatively as Brianna or Bean. Bean has just graduated college, and headed down to spend some time in Mexico with a friend (just a friend). Right when 'just a friend' became 'fuck buddies', Bean's mother, Maye, ends up in the hospital with a serious condition and the next thing Bean knows, she's on a plane back to the States. And her Aunt Jen will be there (is already there) and her father will also be there. Which is strange since the father and Jen haven't had much in the way of contact, any?, for fifteen years. Oh, and they a) are twins; b) have alternated having a relationship with Bean's mother - Maye.

That request from the title? Offered fairly early on (after a fuck ton of flashbacks) - Maye wants Bean to talk her father (who she, she being Bean, doesn't really know) into telling the father's sister, Aunt Jen, the 'big secret'. And, oh, maybe repair the rift that has developed between them.

And so the book shows this dysfunctional family over about a week or two while one is in the hospital slowly getting worse then better.

Family drama. Slice of life.

Oh, since I mentioned it (and I'd thought of saying it before I even wrote anything) - even thought the main character is smack dab in young adult/new adult zone, I say this book isn't that because new adult implies certain things not applicable here (an adult breaking free, trying to wrestle with the fact that they are, in fact, now an adult and have to act like it, support themselves - granted some people are 'forced' into that position when they still should be children, and others never reach this realization - Bean, in this case, is still in the 'I'm going to go party now, fuck being an adult' zone).

Right. I've mentioned it in passing but - there's a fuck ton of flashbacks here. Flaskbacks on flashbacks. And it isn't always easy to tell when they end, when a new one begins (before the old one ended) and stuff.

I've now read everything by this author, at least in book form released under this name (covering my bases, I am). An odd mix of books, most of which I was vaguely reluctant to try, then loved when I read them. Except for this book here. Oh no - I was super reluctant to read this one, it's the part where I didn't actually love the book once I tried it.

Rating: fuck if I know. um. 3

June 21 2017



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The Girl with the Cat Tattoo by Theresa Weir

The Girl with the Cat Tattoo by Theresa Weir

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I hadn't really expected to but I agree with the few reviews I glanced at before starting this here book. The parts with the cat are the best.

Part of the problem is the part where everything, including the parts apparently in the point of view of the two humans, had a kind of 'cat haze' to everything. A distancing. And something else that I cannot, at the moment, pinpoint. Part of it has to do with how immature, reckless, and downright dimwitted both of the humans were - at times the cat seemed smarter, and you know he wasn't a genius due to certain hints dropped here and there. So we have three relatively dim-witted people bumping around the story.

The story? Two years before the start of this story, in human years (I believe Max called it 14 in cat years), David was murdered. And who exactly is this 'David'? Why, David is Max's human - who brought him into a relationship with Melody when David married (well, supposedly, dated, courted, whatever, then married) Melody. Well, as noted, David's dead and Max and Melody have been bouncing around since then. Melody working as a librarian (and constantly seen out and about in her 'costumes' that she wears as a children's librarian), while Max . . . does cat things. Max, though, is tired of seeing Melody drunkenly wander home with some disgusting man clinging to her, so Max decides to make things right.

So he goes out hunting for the perfect mate. Has a list, see, and he's going to search for who fits. Which leads him into the company of a homeless man ('Hey! Melody has a home!'), but let's not tell the whole story.

Alright story all told. Certain unexpectedly distancing between me and it though, the story. And there was a lot more violence, bloodshed and suspense than I had expected or signed up for when I decided to read about a cat trying to find a mate for his human.

Rating: 3.63

June 20 2017



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Angel in the Whirlwind series by Christopher G. Nuttall

The Oncoming Storm by Christopher G. Nuttall

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Solid science fiction/military fiction/space opera about a young officer who unexpectedly finds themselves as the captain of a space-ship (unexpectedly as in, she hasn't been captain before, and the level of spaceship is several levels higher than her first command should be).

I acknowledge noticing certain 'issues' similar between this first book in a series and the first book in the Honorverse series and note that there are also major differences.



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Falcone Strike by Christopher G. Nuttall

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Falcone Strike was a good continuation of the series and yes you need to read the prior book before reading this one since the series follows the unfolding war between two star empires (well, one’s a ‘Commonwealth’ (with a King), and the other is a Theocracy (with a First Speaker (not actually sure if that’s the head or not)).

And, like in the previous book, I could make comparisons and differences between this book/series and the Weber Honor Harrington series, but they are more vaguely general similarities. Like aliens don’t seem to matter (until the reader is informed otherwise – in Honor’s universe), earth doesn’t matter in the fight (doesn’t exist any longer in this series, and while it exists in Honorverse, it isn’t ‘in’ on the fight), female starship captain who finds themselves in command of a spaceship in a ‘precarious’ situation (system leader for her side is a joke, defensives are poor, the planet is in open revolt, there’s a star nation/empire that ‘might try something’ but, as of yet, aren’t in open warfare . . . until they are). Etc. etc. The ‘natives’ of the ‘main’ Commonwealth systems even ‘look younger’ than they might otherwise because of medical science (just as in Honorverse), while the ‘new allies’ look their age (again, like in both series). But there are no intelligent cats, basically everyone on the ‘other side’ are evil (as opposed to Honorverse where it was more of a conflict between systems, and while one had some ‘bad things’ going for it, the people in general were ‘fighting the good fight’, unlike here where the ‘other side’ is filled with misogynistic assholes); the lead female is in the aristocracy instead of (attempted? I forget now) raped by it; and . . . uh . . . other differences.

Right so, as said, series continued. Kat Falcone, the lead, is back in Commonwealth space forced to do stuff she despises, like go to society parties. The idea being that she’s a war hero and therefore will help ‘rally the people’ to the cause. She isn’t exactly suited to the task, though, and almost gets herself tossed out of the military because of unwise words.

Instead of being tossed out, like several wanted to do to her, Falcone is instead placed at the head of another fleet (she keeps being put at the heads of fleets while constantly just getting ‘temporary’ promotions to fit the role instead of actual promotions). This fleet includes one modern warship (the one she captained in the prior book), and an assortment of crap (old broken down ships that, some of them, literally can no longer fly – and are therefore cannibalized to get the other old ships somewhat closer to being able to fly and fight). Her fleet started off with 30 ‘crap’ ships, and the task force leaves with, roughly, 15 plus Lightning, the modern warship. Their mission – take this fleet of crap that could probably be stopped by a kid with a water gun, and go behind enemy lines. Invade enemy space. And . . . do stuff. Disrupt stuff.

Good interesting read. The ‘bad side’ continue being misogynistic assholes, while Falcone continues needing hugs and f**king her boyfriend – head of the marines on her ship (not graphically described, the f**king).

Rating: 4.33

June 13 2017




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Cursed Command by Christopher G. Nuttall

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Not sure if I should rate this 3.5 or 3.75.

This book showed a new dynamic - one of the point of views from prior books, William McElney, has moved to a command of their own spaceship - away from Kat Falcone. And one of the crew members on McElney's new command, Ucanny (the unluckiest ship in the navy), also has a point of view. And like prior books, there's several POV's given over to the other side of the conflict.

Other than being able to come up with 'brilliant' plans in the heat of the moment, I find myself kind of disliking Falcone and somewhat questioning her abilities. She's whinny, bratty, seemingly incapable of properly acting in certain social situations (basically everything in the civilian world), and shows an inability to keep from making snap prejudicial snap judgements. Rightly or wrongly those judgements might be. On-duty she does stuff that could get her in front of a court-martial (going by herself into dangerous situations; she's a captain of a starship, not wonder woman for fuck sake), off-duty she does stuff that could get her court-martialed - and can/could/somewhat does cause 'issues' on her ship (her constant need to be fucking the head of the marines on her ship). People have needs but for fuck sake . . . do you have any self-control? I mean, Kat's constantly slut-shaming her sister and calling her an air-head and Kat does the things she does? pfft.

Yeah, I didn't like this book as much as I would have liked. And the constant mention of just how young she looks and naive; coupled with the comments about her looking older now . . . (while, I guess, still being naive), got old in the first book. By now? Shesh, we get it already.

Right.

Rating: 3.62

June 15 2017



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Desperate Fire by Christopher G. Nuttall

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


It is difficult to write anything about this book without being spoiler-y. What with it being, as the book description says ‘the fourth and final book in . . . series’ ((view spoiler)[though it is lying; as the end of the book confirms. This isn’t the final book in the series. It is the final book in the story arc. Though I assume the series name will change for the ‘new’ series, so . . . not lying. (hide spoiler)])

Writing seemed good. I sometimes lost track of what the spaceships were doing, but for the most part seemed adequate. Somewhat better, overall, story than the one that occurred in the previous book in the series. One thing that I ‘saw’, an ‘event’ that I knew was going to happen occurred as expected – there was a little too heavy handed foreshadowing there (though a different event came out of the blue for me, though it was foreshadowed . . . three words before it occurred) – it’s a war book, what happens in a war book? But I’ll put behind spoiler tag that (view spoiler)[two significant characters died in this book. One I ‘knew’ was likely to die since his introduction to the series, though didn’t think any specific book would be ‘the one’ until this book here. When a specific event occurred (view spoiler)[marriage proposal (hide spoiler)] that made me nod and think, yep, this book he dies. The other significant character who died in this book might have ‘triggered’ in me more foreshadowing if I had paid closer attention to the part where this was the first time his point of view was given . . . though maybe not (hide spoiler)]).

Sex occurred again. Still mostly described in a ‘and they had sex’ way and less in a graphic way, though there were a few borderline scenes there.

I mean, really, what can I say? I keep thinking of things, but I can’t even hint at the plot, even the beginning plot, because – spoiler (less for this book here, since it builds from the prior books, but for the series as a whole). Um. The people from the prior books continue to advance in their military careers, the war continues. Misogyny and religious fanaticism continues. Including a bit of terrorism.

Oh – one thing I can think of that I think I can say without being spoiler-y. There’s a vague feeling of ‘long ago there was an expansion of the human race – out to the stars. The UN tried to control everything. Things fell apart. The ‘Break-away’ wars occurred, though the main ‘good guys’ star system, was not involved in the ‘Break-away’ wars because of its good solid foundation. Somewhere before, during, or shortly after these break-away wars, the Commonwealth was formed (oh, and during the wars Earth was made uninhabitable). Long . . . long ago. When the current king of Commonwealth’s father was king. So not that really long ago. Really.’ That’s the part I get confused about. How there’s this vague feeling of ‘here’s the history – this stuff happened way in the past.’ Oh, actually, I meant in the prior generation.’ Is it long long ago, or super recent past? No matter. All this stuff occurred before this book here and didn’t really impact the series.

Um. Right. So. Boring review.

Rating: 4.0

June 19 2017




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You Make Me Tremble by Karis Walsh

You Make Me Tremble by Karis Walsh

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books in exchange for an honest review.

This book involves two women, neither of whom has their age stamped on them (either could be in their twenties, thirties, though unlikely to be in their 40s but might be). One, Casey, works as a seismologist in a lab in Seattle, though opens the book on a field assignment to San Juan Island off the coast of Washington state. The other, Iris, works as the owner and operator of a pet rescue place, and supplements her income (or, I should say, pays for everything else) by being a greeting card writer/artist. Both are in quite different occupations, and likely would never meet but for a specific earthquake that occurred before the start of this novel, and both see the other as being quite different than them (though others point out similarities).

The two meet well, then quickly the first meeting turns bad. Casey is riding over on the ferry between Seattle and one of the islands off the coast, and along the way one of the stops before Casey’s has Iris on the dock. Casey spots her, and odd as it may or may not seem, Iris also spots Casey up leaning against the railings looking down. Life might have continued with neither spotting the other again, but for a loose dog. For Iris had been on this other island to gather two dogs and ended up with three plus a pregnant cat. One of the dogs breaks free from her, once Iris had gotten on board the ferry, and the dog’s leash is captured by Casey. And, as noted, they meet well. Have a pleasant conversation. Then Casey mentions what she is doing on the ferry, and where and why she’s going to the islands (to study the fault lines and the impact of the recent large earthquake event), and everything about what Casey is saying, how she is saying it, and even using the word ‘event’ causes the already emotionally fragile Iris to erupt in anger at Casey (‘we are just specimens for you to examine!’ – or words to that effect, not exact quote).

Again, neither might not have seen the other again after that bad first meeting but for another dog. A dog Casey spots while wandering around the woods planting equipment. A dog that needs help. No one recognizes the dog and when she asks where to go, they tell her . . . someone other than Iris. So it isn’t just the dog that leads Casey back. For both have the other in their thoughts. And Casey uses the dog as an excuse to hunt Iris down again (my wording is probably poor there).

And so, they meet again, Iris and Casey. And the two will have longer to try to figure out what these messed up feelings might be, for Iris, after learning that Casey slept in her truck her first night on the island (everything is closed due to the earthquake), invites Casey to use one of the spare rooms (which implies the wrong thing but I can’t recall how to spell. Bungalow. Oh, I can spell. Right, that, spare bungalow).

The two women’s interactions between each other seem natural enough to me. And I kind of had a deeper connection to the book than I might have otherwise expected, due to the writing, and the imagery on display. Furry kittens, and playful goats, and plain ordinary rocks which are hundreds of millions of years old, and trees, lots of trees, and spider-webs which might have been created by monster sized spiders and . . . all that and more.

So I like the writing and I like the romance. The sex? Well, I need a paragraph for that as well. Is an important element for some on whether to read or not read.

Sex: Yes, there is sex. It isn’t immediate, but it is graphically described.

Emotions: I admit that there was/is a specific event that occurs late in the book that made me teary-eyed, may or may not correspond to what might be expected. And I kind of read the rest of the book in that kind of state. Whether or not others would read the book the same way certainly depends on many factors.

Rating: 5+

June 19 2017




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All You Can Eat: A Buffet of Lesbian Romance and Erotica

All You Can Eat: A Buffet of Lesbian Romance and Erotica by R.G. Emanuelle

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Appetizers

Fresh Fruit by Ashley Bartlett
CA

A woman lingers near an orange tree. Starring at it. Because part of it is hanging over public property, and therefore free to be sampled (the part over public property). But the owner of the tree keeps removing the oranges before they are ripe. So the main character is standing there. Starring.

A voice behind her calls out. Wants to know what she's doing there. Writing reviews of stories would be easier if I remembered people's names. mmphs. Right, well, the main character and the non-main character are both of the 'boi-ish' type of lesbian set. And they have a quite interesting time exploring the concept of whether or not they are both interested in the other while one tells the other about 'fruit maps' (apparently fruit hanging over public property is 'fair game' to be 'gathered').

Rating: 4.62

20170604

The Luscious Tarte aux Fraises by Historia
HF, France

Not sure exactly when this story occurred, but it occurred at some point in time in France. In a time when a 'Gypsy girl' would be hanged until dead . . . potentially only because she was just too pretty (the woman in the pillory has that thought - that she didn't have any real idea why the woman was hanged, beyond the fact that people have a tendency to destroy any and everything that is pretty and/or brings joy to people).

Right, so, the main character spends the entirety of the story locked in a pillory in France for the crime of theft (she stole a pie because she knew that it was the kind her female friend likes and she wanted to make her smile). The woman is married and has a child. She also has these odd feelings for her friend, Jeanette (she, the main character, being Marie - if I'm remembering correctly). And, apparently, Jeanette might have some of these similar feelings.

sex - sex between two people did not occur in this story. I word that in the way that I did because a certain amount of . . . self-pleasure occurred (and I word that that way because the self-pleasure occurred by a person locked in a pillory .. . which makes self-pleasure difficult).

Rating: 4.89

20170604

Whining and Dining by Jae

The main character comes from a long line of great cooks, but is herself the kind who might accidentally burn down the house just by looking at her stove. The story opens with that woman calling up a friend for help - apparently she's told someone that she can, in fact, cook and well . . she needs help.

The friend comes over. Stuff happens. And the chemistry between the two burned off the pages and made my fingers warm . . . wait, I read this story on an electronic device, I probably should check to see why it is overheating.

Good solid abrupt story.

sex: Barring people's thoughts about lingering looks at asses and kissing, nothing of an actual sexual nature occurs in this story.

Rating: 4.88

20170604

Burn by Rebekah Weatherspoon
married, partner drama

I know what writing looks like when it is in first, second, and third person point of view. But . . . I have no idea what I just read is called. The main character is a hard working woman who is married to another woman. There's trouble in the relationship, though, because main character is kind of an asshole - the kind who takes out outside problems on a spouse (like a bad day) while also riding the spouse about certain things (like looking for work). That main character, who I'm sure was given a name though I didn't catch it if I did get given it - is, as noted, the main point of view - which is in first person ('I didn't like seeing you cry . . . .').

And that right there, that sample, is what confuses me. There's one point of view in the short work - the first person character. Two other characters 'appear' in the story - the wife, and the sister of the wife. The wife? Gets talked about as 'you'. No, not ''I told you that I don't like cheetos!'' but in a 'I didn't like seeing you cry . . . ' way. The first example is conversation, the second is the main character thinking of their wife . . . as you.

What the bloody hell is that described as? The story is a mix of first and second point of view . . . except the second isn't a real point of view. Nothing is from that second point of view - everything is from the asshole working spouse, nothing from the out of work spouse (the 'you' in the story).

It bloody annoyed me, like nails running down a chalk board annoyed me, to read passage after passage that included 'you'. I'M NOT IN THE FUCKING STORY! Get me out of your fucking story.

Right, so, that's the last one I read in this specific reading session and ends this section of the book (the first section of the book).

sex - nudity and the state of arousal of the other party was indicated. Stripping of underwear occurred. No actual sex is graphically described, though 'sex' was about to happen when the story concluded.

Rating: 1.50

20270604

Entrées
Tomato Lady by Cheyenne Blue
Australia, farmer

A story set in Australia starring a woman called the 'Tomato Lady', Sadie, and Erica. Sadie is the star of the show, as in point of view. She and Erica have created a friendship of sorts and this story here is about whether it might go further (like finding out if Erica actually likes women sexually).

First problem for that 'anything more' was already stated - Sadie can't tell if Erica is really flirting with her or not. Second problem? Erica's a sophisticated looking lady drives a Lexus while Sadie is continuously dirt covered - with some parts permanently 'stained', and tends to wear clothing that isn't the best (since tomato's stain) - like when she's telling this to herself (or the reader) - she's wearing barely there cut-off shorts (forget the exact wording now, something like bareist as possible or . . no that's not even a word) and a singlet.

I've no real idea of the ages of the people in this story though, based on the story, Sadie can't be that young - needing time to buy, build up tomato place to point of being 'Tomato Lady'; and Erica keeps repeatedly being described as being 'older' (older than what, dirt?).

sex - vague recollection that I first became aware of this author from seeing their name in erotica story collections. I believe. On the other hand, after reading the introduction, I wasn't really sure what to expect erotic-wise with 'Entree' stories (since the heat is supposed to build from one section to the next).

I suppose it depends on levels of graphicness, what people expect, or something like that. Seemed somewhat more descriptive waxing lyrically about an orgasm than the sex act itself. I mean, there's a bare white breast, some fingers did some stuff (I think). Lots of kissing, I know. Very vague impression given that one 'went down' on the other - and I mean very very vague.

I've read sex acts where I've no clue what is going on, and I've mentioned that in the past, but in those occasions it was because I literally hadn't a clue what all the limbs, body parts, and the like being tossed around were actually doing (didn't help, in one occasion, that people were talking and the author had one of the characters cock their head, so now I had a cock in there as well). Here? Well, not a flurry of body parts, no. More just super vagueness. Got the impression that sex occurred.

Rating: 3.73

20170605

East Meets West by Karis Walsh
Cowgirl (Rancher), Indian (from India), Doctor, Texas (San Antonio)

A classic cowboy and indian story set in Texas. Except the cowboy is a cowgirl (or at least a rancher), the Indian is someone from India, and I do not actually know what 'a classic cowboy and indian story' would be.

Rena followed her parents/family's 'advice' until she couldn't any longer - until she was in the USA with a medical degree and now they wanted her to come home to become a housewife in an arranged marriage. So she finally defied her family (though that might be wording things wrong, since she 'had no problem' with the advice about her life goals until it clashed with her desire to not be in an arranged marriage, not go to all that trouble for an advanced degree/education only to abandon it once married, and her desire to be with women not men). And so now she's there in San Antonio Texas. Estranged from her family.

While on one of her rare outings with co-workers (her issue - she'd rather be home), Rena notices several things - yet another restaurant in Texas that just had to have chicken fried steak with mashed potatoes and gravy on the menu, gorgeous woman. Rena takes a long look at this woman, long look. Until she spotted that woman getting the chicken fried steak - but hey she's still ggg . . the woman is saluting her with her drink. And so Rena returns to her group, estranged from her family, still lacking confidence to actually do anything with women.

Liz, the rancher woman wearing the old boots with the silver chain on them, followed Rena when she left with her group. Introduces herself, sets up a date. Then a date occurred.

Sex - graphic, interesting. Somewhat surprising considering - first date, timing of the 'pounce', etc.

Rating: 4.48

20170605

Dessert Platter by Victoria Oldham
Public Nudity, Objectification, Blindfold, Audience

Names, jobs, careers are not important in this story, sure names were given, some physical characteristics were also given (much more important), and some information on the current status of the relationship (still new . . . though it's been 'months').

I'm confused as to why this story in particular is in the Entree section. The entirety of the story is eroticism, graphic - very graphic eroticism. Public nudity, public . . . touching/groping/teasing/and yes, sex. Plus private sex.

Something about my tags:
Public Nudity - two girlfriends meet at a classy upscale brand new lesbian restaurant. Super high class, super high quality. One of the girlfriends, the lead in the story, Teresa, hurried to her girlfriend, Cree, who she spotted talking to a chef. The chef wanders away. Teresa and Cree talk. During which Cree causally runs her hands along Teresa's body, and . . . does something or other to the nipple (what, a bunch of other stuff occurred as, I just recall 'something' occurring out there in the dining area where Cree pinched, teased, touched, caressed or otherwise did something to Teresa's nipple). Mind, Teresa and Cree are meeting in the open in the restaurant (I'm not exactly sure where, in the dining area?).

Teresa and Cree talk, as noted, then Cree leads Teresa back to a private room set up a little oddly. Well, table, chairs, lots of pillows. Cree then blindfolds and strips Teresa completely naked and puts her onto the table because one of her fantasies is to eat Teresa. Actually, that was a fantasy, but the reason 'we' are all here is because Cree has a fantasy of watching group activity.

Public nudity? Wasn't I supposed to be talking about that? But they are in a private room, so . . .. Shortly after Teresa is in her position stretched out on her back on the table, naked and blindfolded, people come in. Or the sound of people. Then stuff beings happening to Teresa's body - as in plates and stuff are getting placed on her. But I just wanted to note the public nudity part not convey the entire story here.

Oh, I went to put more tags down here in the review section and I notice I already covered all of them. Public nudity - women stripped in public setting with an audience; objectification - woman is used as a 'serving tray' - and at one point the blindfold is removed and Teresa looks around, and realizes that people aren't really looking at her. She's just where the desert had been resting; blindfold and audience are kind of obvious.

Sex - see the entirety of my review above. Or - yes there is sex, graphic detailed sex. More eroticism though depending on definitions. And what counts as sex.

I probably rated this story quite poorly, right? I mean I noted that names and all that didn't matter. Given, not matter. Then proceed to mention how the story is basically just a really long erotic scene filled with eroticism of an erotic nature (okay, I failed, I wanted to use various phrases of that word but . . . failed). Well, let's look down to see what I rated this story *points down*

Rating: 5.25

20170605

Appetizing by Cheri Crystal
Nurse, Butcher

A woman visits a supermarket/deli. Spots a mouth-watering gorgeous woman behind the counter. Drools a little. Can't keep her eyes from wandering lustfully over the woman's curves, plump ass, full breasts. While falling into her eyes the woman realizes that the counter/butcher woman is also checking her out and rather aggressively flirting with her.

That woman behind the counter writes her number on Reba's package of meat (I only recall Reba's a little scene that occurred wherein Jackylyn (sp?) asked Reba what her name meant, looked it up online and came back with an answer that made Reba think of bondage and whether or not the comments being made might include that in actuality). Stuff. (ran out of characters while writing this mini-review)

Rating: 3.65

20170608

Sugar and ’Shine by Andi Marquette
PoC, Alabama

While painting the place she'd be selling shortly, a woman from her past drives up. Both had feelings for the other in high school - neither expressed it. Probably because Sunny had been seeing, not dating but 'seeing' Antoinette, Alexia's sister. Sunny being the painting one, Alexia being the woman who drove up. Alexia is also the woman of color and the one from the rich part of town (while Sunny comes from the poor part of town).

Both are back in town briefly for a class reunion. Both wiggle next to each other.

Sex: There's at least kissing but I forget now how graphic things got. Hazard of reading, making note of my rating, then not actually doing my mini-review until days later.

Rating: 3.32

20170608

Dessert
Vanilla Extract by Jove Belle
chef

Two women have a second date (one isn't clear if the first 'date' can be called a first date or not). They had meet at a wedding - one of the character's (Elana) brother married her ex-girlfriend. The other woman was there as the caterer (Kelly).

Kelly arrives at Elana's place, to start the story, to find that Elana wanted to 'return the favor', or something like that. In that Kelly feed Elana cake. So Elana is attempting to make a cake - poorly. Kelly is quite horrified to see that Elena is using cake mix and imitation vanilla extract (and other cheap products). So one thing leads to another and . . . they end up at a store to get 'the correct ingredients'.

Back at Elana's place, stuff being mixed (by hand), oven on, cooking begins . . . when suddenly one pounces on the other and they almost burn the place down.

One 'issue' that I'm not sure is an issue or not - the P.O.V. seemed to switch between Elana and Kelly somewhat randomly. I mean, one second you are inside Elana's head as she's frantically attempting to figure out how to remove her own pants, then gasping as she feels fingers; the next you are in Kelly's head (not sure if they specifically switched right there but that's what I mean by random switches).

Sex: Wild passionate graphic sex occurs.

Rating: 4.73

20170605

Smorgasbord by R.G. Emanuelle
Artist, writer food column

An artist, Renee, messes around on an art project. She's quite frustrated with it - there just seems to be something 'off'. So she takes a break and goes to an art show that she didn't really want to go to but will distract her.

While at the party, Renee spots an attractive woman out in the garden area. Proceeds to leave, get food, bring food back and introduce herself to the woman by offering to feed her. Delilah Ramsey, food columnist, is the other woman.

I'm not 100% sure how this occurred, exactly, I mean it seemed like a sudden and odd line of events, but one thing leads to another and Delilah is now naked on Renee's table. Being 'painted' with food. As part of Renee's project.

Sex: graphic depictions of a sexual nature do occur.

Rating: 4.36

20170605

Crème Brûlée by Sacchi Green

Two older women reconnect after a year apart.

Rating: 3.12

20170608

Turn the Tables by Yvonne Heidt
HF, Rome, Gladiatrix, Senator's Wife

A Senator's wife, who is more powerful than her husband (because of who her father is), has an arrangement with her husband. She plays with women, he has his own secrets.

The story opens from the point of view of 'The Lioness' (Leonita) down on an arena floor. Having just defeated/killed her opponent. Her last fight. For her benefactor, that senator's wife (Flavia), has purchased The Lionesses freedom.

A mix of eroticism, romance, and graphic displays of sex. Mixed further by seduction through sensual eating.

Flavia's body tightened, her toes curled, and she reached a space where there was no thought, only colors and feelings

sex: Yes. Graphic and intense.

Rating: 5.5

20170608

OVERALL
Fresh Fruit by Ashley Bartlett: 4.62
The Luscious Tarte aux Fraises by Historia: 4.89
Whining and Dining by Jae: 4.88
Burn by Rebekah Weatherspoon: 1.50
Tomato Lady by Cheyenne Blue: 3.73
East Meets West by Karis Walsh : 4.48
Dessert Platter by Victoria Oldham: 5.25
Appetizing by Cheri Crystal: 3.65
Sugar and ’Shine by Andi Marquette: 3.32
Vanilla Extract by Jove Belle : 4.73
Smorgasbord by R.G. Emanuelle: 4.36
Crème Brûlée by Sacchi Green: 3.12
Turn the Tables by Yvonne Heidt: 5.5


Overall
: 4.156153846153846



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The Goose Girl by Robin Gallica

The Goose Girl by Robin Gallica

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


*I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and Less Than Three Press in exchange for an honest review.*

I was not aware of the Goose Girl story fairy tale before reading this story here. Well, I’ve a vague idea I’ve heard the title before, and that it was a fairy tale, but I’ve not read it so I can’t say how this story here is similar or different.

*looks it up* Okay, so, ‘The Goose Girl’ was put out by the Brothers Grimm in 1815. *reads* And, as might be expected, the Brothers Grimm story is vastly more horrifying than you might expect for a fairy tale, as the original tales actually are. I was reading along and the story was similar – the fairy tale and the retelling, then the horse’s head gets nailed to a door and the little girl talks to it when she passes by. That’s the Grimm tale. No severed horse’s heads appear in Gallica’s version. Right, enough of that.

As both the Brothers Grimm story, and this story here has it – a young woman is sent off by her royal parent(s) (Grimm story – pop’s is dead; Gallica story – both king and queen are still alive) to be married. The young princess has no ability to get out of it, no choice. She is forced to conform, to do her duty. So she sent off to marry this mostly unknown boy (they had apparently been near each other at least once as very young children). One maid travels with her. As in the Grimm story, the maid refuses to continue serving the young princess, steals her identity and wanders off to the castle to marry the prince (actually, not sure if it is a prince in the Grimm version) while the real Princess is forced to be a servant.

I already mentioned two differences (severed horse head, dead/not dead pops), another is that the goose boy in the Grimm story is named Conrad, and in the Gallica story is named Konrad. And here ends my comparison because I’ve not read any more of the Grimm version.

Right, so, Ava (the princess, and the main point of view character) rides off on her favorite horse Falada (same name in the Grimm tale) with the maid Otilla. Before they left, the Queen – the mother – gives Ava a charm so that she would not be harmed on her journey by anything found along the way (which is important, of course, the wording). Along the way Ava is forced to change places with Otilla, and once they arrive at the castle where Ava was to be married, fake Princess Ava is warmly greeted while fake servant is said, by fake Ava, to be super bad as a servant and clumsy and stuff. So fake servant is lead away to work in the castle. Otilla – as Ava – says that the servant’s name is Margrit.

One thing leads to another and Margrit works as a goose girl who, for reasons, pretends to be mute (and they are important reasons). She watches the geese, watches Otilla as Ava (who makes a point of always being nearby at the end of the day looking super happy), and lives this life for a week or so until the wedding day appears. But let’s not give everything away, eh?

I rather liked this story. Quite interesting and entertaining.

Ava sighed. She’d heard that many little girls dreamed of being princesses, but that was only because they had no idea what being a princess entailed. They thought of it as having all the money in the world and the freedom to do with it as one wished. They weren’t thinking of the impeccable manners, the endless tutors, the state visits, the social schedule so full that going for a ride was a treasured treat. Or the arranged marriages. For that matter, every single one of Ava’s friends had been chosen for her by her mother . . .

Rating: 3.73

June 8 2017



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Angel Fever by May Ridge

Angel Fever by May Ridge

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


*I received this book from NetGalley, and Less Than Three in return for a fair review.*

The story was both not what I expected and what I expected. For I expected a story involving an Angel and a Priest, and that the Angel would be looking for his mother - with the help of the Priest. And that there had been conflict between the two species in the past. And possibly still some conflict on-going in the present.

An Angel did pop up looking for his mom. And a priest did help. But . . . I . . . for some reason I didn't expect that the Angel would be 17-I'm-almost-18 year old. Stupid of me, I know, but I just assumed that it would be an adult who was curious about his past, not some wet-behind the ears kid. One who is smug, arrogant, and very very determined to smirk at everything (I'm actually surprised that the word 'smirk' only appears 21 one times in the short story). Quite frankly the Angel was completely unlike-able. The priest? While he also seemed to like smirking, he also seemed . . . less than what I'd want to find, but he was tolerable just the same. (I suppose Eli took up that 'really arrogant, smug, extremely smirk-able, asshole priest' position - Eli being one of the side characters of the piece).

There were many things that just baffled me. Like, is this short story supposed to be part of a larger series? Because I kind of entered it and found myself confused immediately. It was hard to get a handle on the society I found. Words I know, like 'Angel', 'Priest', 'Chapel', 'Pope', 'Western Europe', 'London', kept appearing in the story . . . and yet, it was the back drop to a society and people that did not correspond to what I would naturally think of when those terms were used. For one thing the priests are not celibate, women have more power than I'd expect for anything that has a 'Pope' as the religious head, the Pope apparently lives in London, and Angels . . . appeared to be massive pricks.

I didn't really get a good handle on this culture. Just that there were three entities in it - Angels, Priests, and mundane humans. And that the Priests, I think, came from humans. And that everyone with any kind of position is forced to give up their kids to orphanages - which is also where the same people go to get people to be things like Priests and Angels. But, is there a society outside of that? Just . . . Angels who do not correspond to the concept I have for angels, priests who do not appear priest like, etc. etc. And don't get me started on how women were treated in this story (the only one with a bit of power is kind of disliked, had her (view spoiler)[baby stolen from her, and is a bit evil, more than a bit (hide spoiler)], while those without specific 'power' are seen as being 'common' and somewhat beneath contempt - at least in the only ways you see them in the story (evil, or lessor, common - like, for example, three types of Angel healers, Male (rare), It (?), and Female - with female on the bottom). And, oddly, except for that one 'Lady', the Priests side apparently had no other women in evidence except door-minders (one). I can't really go with the council part on the Angel side - only one council member was shown, it wasn't explicitly stated that no women were on it, and just because the only female seen over there was the receptionist doesn't really mean anything.

Saying all that - the story had some interesting aspects. Part of my problem is I didn't really know the society at all so I couldn't pick up on some of the things I would have in another story. Like there was kissing, but mentions that it 'wasn't really what it seemed', or maybe it was - I do not have the background to tell what's going on. I do not know enough about the people and society.

I didn't particularly like 'kid-angel' though as the story progressed I 'accepted him' more. The Priest dude . . . well, everything was from kid angel's point of view. And he didn't exactly like some of the things the priest dude did. Though, by observation, the priest dude also had some disagreeable aspects. Like when he ended up in a jail like cell with the kid, his immediate reaction seemed to be to turn to tease the kid (until he realized something that caused him to stop, but that still was his first reaction).

Oh and - we all have differing levels of 'explicit content'. I went into this story with this little note on NetGalley: 'Angel Fever contains no explicit content.' Which made me think that there would be no explicit content at all - like no touching, kissing, etc., at least not passionate type. A lot more kissing in this story than I'd expect for 'no explicit content'. Which, of course, brings us back to different levels of what 'explicit content' means. And, well, kissing is icky - you know the amount of germs the mouth contains? 'A single tooth can host 500 million bacteria.' And one of the worst things about a bite wound isn't the bite itself, it's the icky gross germs, bacteria, and the like that will infect the wound - transferred over from the mouth, from the bite (my own grandmother ended up in the hospital less because of the cat bite, but because of the germs that infected her from the cat bite).

Rating: 3.05

June 7 2017 and June 8 2017



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Patton's Spaceship (Timeline Wars #1) by John Barnes

Patton's Spaceship by John Barnes

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This book isn’t exactly what I had expected – and what I had expected is one of the reasons that it took me *counts* 20 years to read this book. Yes, really, 20 years. I knew of the series near to when it was first published in 1997, and I probably had a used copy of the first book shortly thereafter. And . . . . did no t read it until this year. 20 years later.

Why? I expected that this book would be just like every other book that involved time lines and multiple universes. There’s Simon Hawke’s TimeWars, several short stories (and possibly books) by Poul Anderson, a series by David Weber, etc. – lots and lots of books that involved either two or more forces battling wars within time (TimeWars; Anderson’s short stories), or across universes (Weber’s series, and, later in the series, TimeWars). And while I liked that kind of thing, there is such a thing as getting overwhelmed with the same topic getting repeated over and over again.

So, what is it exactly I got this time? The first 25.23% of the book was an interesting look at an action/suspense/private investigator-bodyguard mystery. Quite detailed, quite interesting, and quite emotional. And then, finally, we got to the science fiction part.

And we, the readers, find – two competing forces battling each other through multiple universes. But, before you can say ‘training montage’ (no training actually occurs), the guy being recruited, Mark Strang, gets himself separated from the time traveling people and – impulsively, stuck on another world – a timeline wherein Hitler won (one of the 800 such timelines (vast majority, for those following along, have Hitler lose)). He is there on this world, trying to figure out how to interact, taking out some of the ‘Closers’ (the name of the ‘evil’ faction involved in the ‘Timeline Wars’ (as the back over the book calls it), but mostly this isn’t fight between two different time periods/sets of timelines/etc. It is the journey of a man who found himself on the wrong world. A Nazi controlled world. A world wherein Nazi’s took over the USA – but there are still forces trying to fight back. And Mark attempts to find them.

This book surprised me at just how good it was – just how interesting and exciting everything was. And, for that matter, just how violent it was. (heck, there’s even mention of gorgeous naked (or where they topless?) female slaves . . . seen in passing, glimpsed, not important to the story – but unexpected in and of itself to see).

If I had to come up with a complaint, a flaw it would be one specific issue – because of reasons fully explained in the book, Mark Strang became a trained operative – skilled with martial arts (though that training started when he was a kid before the ‘reasons’ occurred), gun use, body-guarding, private investigating, and art history (he had been heading for a doctorate in art history when his world imploded). But it was stressed a large number of times that he had no military training. He didn’t exactly become a military genius, or anything like that, no, it’s just that he was shown with skills that it had been kind of stressed hard he hadn’t gotten. Counter-argument to that is that much of what he did could have been picked up when he went all ‘commando’ like back in his own time period. It’s just that he was shown to be a good skilled body-guard, not Rambo, prior to going to another world and . . . doing what he did (where, fair enough, he didn’t go Rambo, he just became a very good instructor of military security people – also, he did kind of go all Rambo like in a few occasions).

Right, so, quite fun, interesting, great book.

Rating: 4.36

June 7 2017




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Right Out of Nowhere by Laurie Salzler

Right Out of Nowhere by Laurie Salzler

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I hate when I ‘forget’ to write a review immediately after reading a book. A book without a review isn’t a sign of anything other than that I didn’t have time to write anything. It is neither a good or bad sign.

Heh – I have two reviews to write and I’m now debating on which to now talk about since that above opening would work on either book. *thinks*

I’ve read all but two of Salzler’s books, which means I’ve now read four. I tend to enjoy the books, though not go into fits of insane gibberish bursts of extreme joy that leads me to pound on the 5 star button.

I could tell you, whoever I mean by ‘you’, immediately one of the reasons for the lack of five stars, but it seems somewhat unfair to start with negatives so I’ll immediately note: I really liked how there was a bit of ‘dangerous outdoor action’ that occurred in this book and it did not, I repeat did not involve wacky insane people who either are hunting and/or stumble across two women thrust together into danger and survival. Okay, went a little far there – I just was going to note that I liked how you can inject some thrilling action/adventure/danger without having to have ‘evil people’ doing evil crap. You can just have people impacted by nature, be it weather or lions (mountain or did they call it a bobcat?).

Okay, that negative thing I was going to mention then pushed – I really really did not like the dynamic that was displayed between the brother and sister in this book. Or how a grown woman seems still to be under the thumb of her father (‘father said I could have the big bed’; ‘No *throws a tantrum* I don’t want someone else to join us up here as an extra SAR person!!! *pfft* Fine father, whatever.’) I never did figure that one out – why did the father have all this power? Was he in the chain of command of the SAR people? He didn’t seem to be specifically. Just . . . connected and powerful with them. SAR – Search and Rescue.

Right, sorry again. So, the book involves and stars Roni Oatman who works as a Search and Rescue person for the Forestry Service during part of the year and . . . um . . . a rancher? during the rest of the year. The SAR part of the year is about to start when the book opens and Roni is heading up to the cabin. Her brother will be joining her – there would normally be a third member of their team, but she (and I’d have her name if I hadn’t taken forever to get around to writing a review) is heavily pregnant and about to deliver a baby. ‘She’ is also Roni brother’s wife, and – importantly – the woman who Roni first fell in love with (long before ‘She’ meet the brother) . . . and still lusts towards.

Once Roni arrives at the cabin, she finds her brother and learns that a third person would be joining them – a Selena Ayala.

Selena and Roni have an interesting first contact situation. Roni has accidentally allowed herself to be blinded by the sun, and when the two first meet Selena has to doctor Roni back to being able to see. Which takes time (days). So Roni ‘learns’ Selena before she ever first sees her in the flesh. Roni may or may not also be topless on this occasion of first meeting – I forget now, though I do know that Selena stumbled across Roni outdoors naked.

It’s been ages since I read the book so: I really liked the dynamic involved between the budding attraction and relationship between Selena and Roni; I actually liked how Roni seemed to have grown as a human as the book progressed; I like the bits of action in this book; and I really liked the relationship between Roni and her horse.

One last point before I depart – horrifyingly disagreeable exes seem to be a theme with this author. Turned up in this book as well as in others I’d read. If I recall correctly, I believe ‘borderline insane/or just plain disagreeable – nasty – exes’ appear in all of the books I’ve read. *checks* Yep – in all of the books this theme appears.

Rating: something around 4.5 since that’s the shelf I put the book on when I finished it mid-May.

June 6 2017




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The Noble of Sperath by Siera Maley

The Noble of Sperath by Siera Maley

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This book is the second one that I’ve read by this author. I had liked the first I’d read, had eyeballed some of the author’s other books but hadn’t tried another until just now.

The first book I’d read by the author was a cute young adult book set in a high school. A contemporary high school. This book here, The Noble of Sperath, is a fantasy set on a medieval like non-earth.

The book opens with the main character hearing people talking near her. She’s concerned because she doesn’t know who they are – or, for that matter, where she is. They continue talking. The main character continues to pretend to be asleep. Eventually one of the two voices leaves and the other stays nearby. Gradually this main character re-develops the ability to move. Which she does, slowly, carefully, until she stands near the strange man who apparently has captured her and put her in his (maybe his?) bed, and sets out to attack him.

There’s a reason why I use ‘main character’ and ‘she’ instead of using the character’s name. And no, it isn’t like normal wherein I just forgot her name. No, it is because ‘she’ has forgotten her name. For she has amnesia. She occasionally gets flashes from her past life (I should be careful using words like that in a fantasy – I just mean her pre-amnesia life), but otherwise doesn’t remember anything from that life. The two men who ‘found’ her also don’t know this character’s backstory either, though they know ‘who’ she is (complicated, eh? They don’t know her, but know her – more later). And here I used character instead of woman, young woman, or child because no one seems to know how old she might be. Though there is a belief that she is probably ‘older than she looks’. Which is ‘young woman’ age, but no specific age was given – until it was mentioned that she looked roughly around the same age as a princess (the princess) of Sperath, who just turned 18. So she could conceivably, she here still being the unnamed main character, be between the age of 13 to 23.

So how do the two men ‘know’ and ‘not know’ this main character? They know what she is, actually, just not who she was. For she is, now, the Seer. The person who will visit all 12 of the kingdoms that make up the Empire of Eveinia, choose 12 potential heirs, head off to another spot and ‘divinely’ choose the next Emperor.

Oh, and naturally everyone can’t just keep referring to her as nameless or something like that, so the main character chooses her own name. She decides to call herself after the most famous thief named Talia, so she calls herself Lia.

Lia is trained and then sets off on her quest with the younger of the two men who working with her (I’d get more exact with names but my digital book reader is dead). Her first stop – the kingdom of Sperath and specifically the same castle the princess lives in.

I wasn’t sure that I wanted to try yet another young adult book set in fantasy land, at least not right when I did try a sample but . . . shesh. I got sucked right in. Before I knew it I’d read something like 8% of the book. Which doesn’t really sound like a lot, but I had intended to just look at a few pages to see if I was going to get the book or not. I am rather glad that I did try this book.

Ah, my status update makes clear to me why I didn’t rate this book higher – initially, while I was easily pulled into the story and devoured the story, I didn’t actually specifically like the main characters (not as in not like the characterization, but not like the characters). That changed, but that was my first impression.

Two things to note: this has been called a young adult story, but it isn’t exactly clear how old the main character actually is, and everyone else involved are adults (well, the princess is 18 but she isn’t considered an young adult in this world, but an adult with responsibilities, like marrying and stuff (stuff including taking over the family business shortly after marriage – as in taking the throne of Sperath). And the second thing – romance stuff.

The first book I read by this author involved a straight girl and a . . . well, she might have been straight or bisexual, it wasn’t from her point of view so not sure – two possibly straight girls being assumed to be a couple, and so they run with it (for reasons) – lots of stuff about sexual orientation and stuff in that book). Here? Well the author seems to be playing with it – flirting with who her characters are and what their wants and needs are – the Princess has two rumors floating around her, and she doesn’t immediately refute either (one casts her as being ‘improperly’ attached to a man; the other has her ‘improperly flirteous (and possible more)’ with women. And the main character? Lia came off more like an asexual than anything else, possibly leaning towards being . . . I don’t know what the term is (like, I read a book involving an asexual biromantic, but am not sure what word to use for lesbianromantic).

Basically I’m saying that I’m not sure I’d call this young adult, nor lesbian fiction. This specific book here. Though there is a lesbian in the book.

I look forward to more books in this series. Eagerly.

Rating: 4.47

June 6 2017




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